Choosing the right course for you

Choosing a subject and course to study may seem a daunting task. After all, you are making a decision that can have a profound effect on the rest of your life. There are so many choices to make that you are likely to feel overwhelmed by it all. Unless, of course, you are one of the lucky ones who already knows exactly what course you wish to study. If you are not sure which course you wish to study don’t panic – there are thousands of students in exactly the same position as you. You will need to explore all the possibilities fully and this is likely to take some time to research properly. Below are some points to consider before making that all-important decision. You will want to find a course which matches your interests, career aspirations and talents. Obviously there is no one course which suits everyone (that would be boring!) so you will need to spend time finding the right one.

Start by asking yourself the following questions.

Which subjects interest me?
Are there courses available that tie in with your personal interests that may not have been available to you previously? We believe it is fundamental that you select a course that you are going to enjoy.

What are my talents?
What subjects have you previously studied, enjoyed and done well in?
Do you already have a passion for certain subjects studied previously?

What job/ career path would I like to follow after attending university or college?
Are there specific subjects that I need to take to ensure my desired career path is available to me?
This is an absolutely crucial point. If you are confident in your career path then you need to research whether there are any specific courses/ qualifications that you must take in order to follow that career path. Alternatively, if you are not sure of your career path after university then you need to ensure that you ‘cover your bases’ by selecting a course which does not eliminate any of your potential careers at such an early stage.

Which academic skills would I like to improve?
Is there a subject which would provide useful experience and learning in a new area?
Would this increase your skill set?

You need to answer these questions honestly in order to ensure that you are going in the right direction. However additional help is at hand.

UCAS provide a questionnaire called The Stamford Test which enables students to define their interests and abilities and matches these to potential courses available. Many students find this extremely helpful when trying to make up their minds.

The link for The Stamford Test is here An important point worth repeating is that if you have a career path in mind you must check to see if certain qualifications are essential. If so, then these are the subject areas you must follow through university. Combination Courses For those of you who just can’t make a decision help is at hand again. Combination Courses allow you to study more than one subject and you will be amazed at some of the combinations available. (For accurate information about combination courses you will need to check with the universities.)

In some cases, you can often decide for yourself how much time you would like to spend on each subject. There are two main ways in which combination courses are split.

Joint Course
You study two subjects equally with 50% of your time on each subject.

Major/Minor Course
In this case, one subject takes precedence over the other. You will spend approximately 75% of your time studying the major subject area and 25% of your time on the minor subject.

Combination Courses can include two subjects that compliment each other or can include two completely different subjects that potentially have minimal common ground.

There are other types of courses available to you.

Sandwich Courses
Sandwich courses are typically four year courses with a year out in industry. The key benefit is that you get a year’s experience working in an industry of your choosing. This is often invaluable when it comes to leaving university and getting a job. Often in these cases the third year is the year when you undertake work experience.

Language Courses
Many language courses now offer the opportunity to study your chosen language in the

Learn a language and build your confidence while studying abroad in that specific country. The length of time abroad varies from course to course from one term abroad to an entire year.
It goes without saying that studying language in a foreign country is invaluable as you tend to have to speak that language to communicate effectively. You also have the invaluable benefit of learning how the language is really used on a day to day basis which enables you to truly improve your language skills.

If you study two languages, you may be able to spend time in each of the two countries.

Conclusion
There is certainly much to think about but do not become overwrought by all the possibilities. Timing is crucial – start thinking about the subjects of interest to you well ahead of time in order to be able to find the right course for you.
With thousands of different courses available to you there is certainly going to be something for you.